Minnesotans have a complicated relationship with summer. Three months of full-throttle compensation for the year’s remaining nine. The patio is the temple of that compensation. These are the ones we end up at as soon as it cracks fifty.
Updated August 30, 2026 · Independent and locally run. Our picks aren't for sale; any paid placement is labeled.
Neighborhood guides: Northeast
A full city block of patio in the heart of Northeast’s brewery district. Live music most weekends, a rotating cast of food trucks, dogs welcome, and a public-square feeling that beer halls in this country mostly fail to pull off.
Read full entry →A seasonal pavilion next to Minnehaha Falls. The lobster rolls are real, the lines are real, the picnic-table patio is one of the metro’s best public spaces. May through October.
Read full entry →The dog-friendliest patio in the city, attached to a cider house that takes hops as seriously as fruit. Big communal tables, weekend live music, a fenced yard that turns into a four-legged social hour by 4pm.
Read full entry →The destination brewery to end all of them. Half-ringed by the brewery’s glass facade, half open to a green that fills the moment the temperature breaks. The pizza is shockingly good, by the way.
Read full entry →On the southwest side of Nokomis, with sand a few feet from the patio. Burgers, brats, fish tacos, and a kids-and-dogs-and-strollers chaos that is the whole point. Seasonal, no reservations, just go.
Read full entry →A St. Paul taproom whose patio quietly out-vibes most Minneapolis breweries. Long picnic tables, rotating food trucks, a yard that catches just enough afternoon sun. Lager program is among the best in the metro.
Read full entry →A St. Paul brewery that lucked into a perfect patio location. Walking distance to CHS Field, around the corner from Mears Park, on a corner that catches afternoon sun. Pre-Saints-game patios do not come better.
Read full entry →A 200-boat dock and a wraparound deck on Lake Minnetonka’s most-watched stretch. Worth the drive on a summer afternoon, especially if you can find someone with a pontoon. The Wharf burger is the order.
Read full entry →A neighborhood restaurant with a patio just steps from the Mississippi. Comfortable, unfussy, the right place for a long Wednesday dinner that stretches well into golden hour. Order the mussels.
Read full entry →The patio in the old Eat Street Social spot is shaded and softened with well-placed plantings, an easy place to linger over a stacked burger and a build-your-own gin-and-jam cocktail. It is dog-friendly and runs from brunch into the evening, so it works whether you want a slow Sunday or an after-work drink outside.
Read full entry →This 1906 landmark has one of the most beloved big patios downtown, the kind of place to settle in for famous wings, an old fashioned, and a pre-game crowd near Target Field. Patio seating is first-come walk-in only, so come early on a warm night.
Read full entry →Frost has long held the title of prettiest patio in the cities, a leafy brick courtyard wrapped in greenery and fairy lights in the heart of Cathedral Hill. It is the patio locals name first for an anniversary or a slow glass of wine outdoors.
Read full entry →The European-style courtyard patio sits on the prettiest cobblestone street in town, with the Mississippi and the downtown skyline right across the way. Patio seating is walk-in only and fills fast on summer nights, so it is worth the wait for that view.
Read full entry →The back patio here is a south Minneapolis institution, shaded and fan-cooled with room to spread out over scratch-made food and Town Hall beer. It is the unfussy neighborhood patio people default to all summer long.
Read full entry →Few patios commit to a bit like Betty Danger’s, where a 65-foot Ferris wheel looms over a sprawling open patio and mini golf rounds out the back. It is loud, pink, and seasonal, the spot locals bring out-of-towners for frozen drinks and Mexampton tacos in the sun.
Read full entry →The patio at Hola Arepa is a summer staple, with a covered and heated section plus an open-air stretch, half of it held for walk-ins. Pair the griddled arepas with a tropical cocktail and you have the patio brunch locals have loved since 2011.
Read full entry →This family-owned Northeast favorite welcomes dogs out on its patio, a relaxed perch for burgers, brunch, strong cocktails, and local beer. The cheerful vibe and dog-themed everything make it an easy weekend hang in the neighborhood.
Read full entry →Behind the Hamm’s-covered barroom hides a small, lush patio tucked into the greenery on St. Paul’s East Side. It is the local move for cheese curds, a great burger, and a cold tap beer away from the crowds.
Read full entry →This scratch-kitchen spot on Payne Avenue draws a loyal East Side crowd to its patio for inventive plates and cocktail flights. It is the kind of neighborhood patio locals keep coming back to rather than the one tourists find.
Read full entry →If we missed your spot, tell us. Your pick joins a running tally of reader recommendations. We read every submission and work the strongest ones into the list. We do not publish your name or email.